Greece · Sporades
Yacht Charter Alonissos
The largest marine protected area in Europe, and a Classical shipwreck you can dive as a museum.
The National Marine Park of Alonissos and the Northern Sporades was declared in 1992 and is the largest protected area of sea in Europe, set up for the Mediterranean monk seal — of which a few hundred remain, and a good share of them here. The park takes in Alonissos and a scatter of uninhabited islands north of it, and the rules on where you may go and how fast are part of why it works.
The park
Kyra Panagia, Gioura, Piperi and Peristera are uninhabited; Piperi is the core zone and closed altogether, which is where the seals pup. Kyra Panagia has a monastery still worked by one or two monks and a sheltered bay to lie in.
The seals are seen rather than shown — no one runs a boat that promises them. What is reliable is the water: the park has some of the clearest in the Aegean because so little happens in it.
The wreck and the towns
Off Peristera lies a merchant ship that went down around 425 BC with several thousand amphorae aboard, still lying as they fell. In 2020 it opened as the first underwater museum in Greece and certified divers can visit it with a guide.
Patitiri is the port, rebuilt after the 1965 earthquake. Old Alonissos on the ridge above was condemned and emptied after the same earthquake, then bought up and restored house by house, and is now the better place to be at the end of the day.
Practical notes
- The marine park was declared in 1992 and is the largest protected sea area in Europe
- Piperi is the core zone and closed to entry; the other islets can be visited
- The Peristera wreck, a cargo ship of about 425 BC, opened in 2020 as Greece's first underwater museum
- Old Alonissos was emptied after the 1965 earthquake and restored house by house
Reached from: Skopelos, Skiathos and the Sporades
Where to dine
A table by the water
Astrofengia
Old AlonissosOn the ridge with the whole channel below, and a menu that leans on the island's own herbs.
Hayiati
Old AlonissosOn a terrace inside the old village, open from late afternoon for the light more than the food.
Archipelagos
PatitiriOn the harbour at the port, doing whatever the day boats brought in.
What to do
Anchorages & excursions
The marine park
The largest protected sea area in Europe, declared in 1992 for the Mediterranean monk seal.
The Peristera wreck
A cargo ship of about 425 BC with thousands of amphorae, open since 2020 as Greece's first underwater museum.
Old Alonissos
Emptied after the 1965 earthquake, then restored house by house on the ridge above the port.
Kyra Panagia
An uninhabited island in the park with a working monastery and a sheltered bay.
The fleet
Yachts available for Alonissos
Vessels that operate here, from flagship motor yachts to smaller crewed boats. Every rate is quoted on enquiry.
Good to know
Questions we are asked about Alonissos
- What is the marine park for?
- The Mediterranean monk seal, of which only a few hundred remain. Piperi, where they pup, is closed altogether; the rest of the park is open under rules on access and speed.
- Can you dive the Peristera wreck?
- Yes — it is a merchant ship of around 425 BC with several thousand amphorae still lying as they fell, and since 2020 certified divers can visit it with a guide as an underwater museum.
- What does a yacht charter in Alonissos cost?
- It depends on the yacht, the season and the crew, so we quote on enquiry rather than publish a figure that would be wrong for most weeks.
Destinations
Nearby destinations
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Enquire about a charter on Alonissos
Tell us your dates and how many of you there are, and we will come back with the right yacht and a full quotation.